Foundations aid area public schools

July 6, 2005 - Before stepping down as president of the Catalina
Foothills School District Foundation, Terry Fortunado will sign a
check for $350,000. The check is the foundation's gift to the
district's governing board, the largest amount in the district's
history.

The foundation is known for its lavish fundraisers which often
bring in thousands of dollars in support of the school district.
Annually, the foundation puts on a posh dinner/auction in addition
to about 14 food-themed fundraising events aptly titled "What's
Cooking," Fortunado said.

Money is raised throughout the year, not only through the
fundraisers, but through direct mail outs, she said, and each year
the amount the foundation can give to the district increases, she
said.

Last year the foundation raised $300,000, according to the
district.

While Fortunado said she has enjoyed her time as the president
of the foundation she is ready to let another parent and past board
member take over, John Hicks, who will begin as the foundation
president July 1, she said.

"He has been a terrific volunteer," Fortunado said.

The foundation has a policy of not letting any board member sit
on the board for more than six years, and Fortunado, who has been
president for five years, said she wanted one year to sit on the
board without being president. So she will bask in her new role as
chairwoman of fundraising for the foundation, she said.

Under Fortunado's reign, the foundation has grown to more than
30 board members and more than 30 volunteers, she said. Annually
the support for the foundation increases.

Superintendent Mary Kamerzell remembers coming into the district
nine years ago and hearing the foundation was hoping to raise
$40,000. She is astonished at how much the foundation has grown and
said a lot of that has to do with Fortunado, she said.

"She is an inspirational leader," Kamerzell said.

The money raised by the foundation will go into keeping class
sizes small at the elementary school level, Kamerzell said, funding
about four or five teacher salaries, she said.

In addition to teacher salaries, the money is used at the middle
school level to offer students a honors geometry course. An
additional two high school positions will be funded through the
money, which will increase honors and advance placement offerings,
Kamerzell said.

Even with the $350,000, a greater amount more than any other
local school district foundation, Fortunado said no amount of money
is enough, citing that Arizona is among the stingiest of states
when it comes to per pupil funding.

"We've tried to work to make our fundraising continue
long-term," she said. "It's making a dent."

Hicks said he hopes to increase the amount of money the
foundation can give to the district in the years to come.

Hicks, who has sat on the foundation board for three years has
three children attending district schools. He said he just hopes he
can do as well as his predecessor and continue to raise awareness
of the foundation, increasing community and business
involvement.

One of his main goals in his new presidential role will be to
focus in on the $1 a day program, looking to raise $1 million
through the foundation, he said. No matter what the increase will
be for the foundation, Hicks said he thinks he is fortunate to have
such a supportive community.

"One of the great things about the Foothills School District is
the parent involvement," he said. "It's a very worthwhile
cause."

Other districts are also aware of the cause and have established
a district foundation. One of the main reasons a foundation exists
is because residents cannot donate money directly to a school
district so they need another way to disseminate funds, which is
where a district foundation comes in.

The Amphitheater Foundation exists in a different way than the
Foothills Foundation. The amount of money contributed to the
district annually is smaller and it is allocated to different
areas, said Vice President of the foundation and Lu Lu Walker
Elementary School Principal Roseanne Lopez.

Last year the Amphi Foundation started the Marion Trien
Education Scholarship, named after a women who spent many years
teaching within the district. The foundation awarded three high
school scholarships worth $500 each to three different students
from the high schools. The scholarships were awarded to students
looking to pursue a career in education, she said.

Annual fundraisers are another way the foundation receives
money, she said.

The foundation is largely responsible for writing grants. This
past year it wrote grants for science equipment and materials,
which was fulfilled by Raytheon for $1,500, she said. Another grant
was written for $3,500 for literacy programs, which will help fund
book clubs and additional classroom materials, she said.

The foundation also funded travel expenses for about $3,500 for
students who participated on national academic challenges, such as
the Odyssey of the Mind and Future Problem Solvers of America. The
money helped pay for travel costs for some students, she said.

The foundation also works in conjunction with the Amphitheater
Clothing Bank. Annually the clothing bank gives out clothes to
students and families in need about three times a year, Lopez said.
The cost to operate the clothing bank is about $10,000 a year,
which includes the electric costs in addition to the purchasing of
new socks and underwear, she said. The clothing bank is run solely
on volunteers, she said.

Raytheon awarded the clothing bank $1,500 this year, she
said.

The Marana Foundation for Educational Excellence is also
responsible for grants and fundraising which aids in the Marana
Unified School District's partnership with the community.

No matter what way the districts' foundations give back to the
schools it is just a way to increase support and awareness to
public education, Fortunado said.